


An Eager Pupil

by thegirlwiththefandoms



Category: The Avengers, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, Mommy Feels!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-06
Updated: 2013-10-06
Packaged: 2017-12-28 13:46:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/992665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegirlwiththefandoms/pseuds/thegirlwiththefandoms
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki watches Thor being led away by Odin for personal training with their father every night. He hears about the triumphs of Thor as he learns. Truth be told, he is jealous. However, things change when their mother, Frigga, comes to Loki to train <i>him</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Eager Pupil

**Author's Note:**

> This came to me after seeing the Thor: The Dark World trailer where we see that Frigga and Loki have super similar fighting styles.

Two hours each day, Thor was approached by Odin, taken from his play to be trained with a maul by the Allfather himself. Two hours each day, Loki was left alone, levitating goblets and reading up on ancient lore as he was passed over. He would train with Odin if offered the chance. He would eagerly take up the too heavy maul alongside Thor and learn what he could. And yet… he was not included in this training, for whatever reason. One warrior son was enough in the family, Loki supposed. Perhaps because Thor was the eldest? Or because he was built like a warrior? He was nothing like the slender, pale-faced boy that was Loki. So, the younger son sat alone until Thor returned, red-faced and proud to unload the glory of his lessons with the Allfather upon his younger brother, either oblivious to or uncaring of the way that Loki fell silent and listened with eyes down.

In so many other aspects of his young life, Loki suffered from being the youngest and the ill-favoured son, so he had just begun to accept that this would be another example of this. Thor would be the warrior, and Loki would be a conjurer of cheap tricks.

Evidently, his mother had other ideas.

Loki could remember quite clearly the night that Odin approached Thor, as usual, and Frigga stood beside him, her manner gentle as she met her younger son’s eyes wordlessly and held out a hand. Without question, he had taken it, confused but pleased to be noticed. Odin and Thor walked side-by-side, and Loki remained beside his mother until the two pairs parted.

“Where are we going, mother?” he had asked in the innocence befitting a child of his meager age.

Frigga looked down upon him warmly. “I spoke to your father,” she explained. “Your skills are not like your brother’s, darling. However, they require just as much training. Perhaps even more.” As they reached the great door leading to the courtyard, Frigga stopped him from reaching for the knob, waving a hand gracefully. As she did so, the golden doors clicked open and parted for them.

Loki’s eyes widened. He had known that she had power, of course, as the wife of the Allfather should. However, he had not expected much. And it was a small display, but it was more than he could do as of yet, though he planned to be a great sorcerer one day.

Frigga’s mouth smiled easily at her son’s awe. Placing a hand on the small of his back, she led him into the courtyard, cool in the night air. Off to one side, a small table had been placed. Around the courtyard, torches flickered, casting Frigga in a hazy glow as she crossed to the table, her fingers finding a tie at the side of her skirt. Undoing it, the skirt came away, revealing strong boots and breeches. Loki blinked, having never seen his mother in any state but regality.

Checking her long braid as it fell down her back, Frigga nodded and reached for one of the objects on the table. Finding one which pleased her, she lifted a gilded practice spear with a blunted blade at the end. It was shorter than a full sized spear, but it looked just as lethal. Raising a brow, she held it out to Loki.

Confused, Loki accepted it, his fingers curling around the staff as he met Frigga’s eyes. It was taller than he, as a good spear should be. Still, the one his mother took for herself was far larger. “I did not know you could fight, mother.”

“And why shouldn’t I?” she replied good naturedly.

“Because…” he trailed off, considering. There were shieldmaidens. The fact that she was female should have no bearing on her ability as a warrior. Perhaps it was the notion that his mother, who had fed him as a baby and kissed his forehead before he went to bed, was also lethal slipped Loki up. “…I don’t know,” he responded.

She gave a laugh, setting her spear to the ground to lean against it. “I’ve been monitoring your magic use,” she told him lightly. “Can you show me?”

Loki nodded, searching for an object to demonstrate. Frigga’s eyes watched her son’s before she took a large boulder from the table and placed it a few feet from him. Loki nodded, switching his spear to his non-dominant hand to extend the other. Concentrating, he sent magic toward the boulder, levitating it a few feet off the ground carefully.

Frigga watched, studying him as he did it. Nodding, she stepped to his side. “Can you throw it?” she asked carefully.

“Throw it?” Loki repeated, looking to her. As he did so, the rock clattered to the floor heavily.

She nodded. “Yes, throw it. Could you project it at an enemy?”

Loki’s brows furrowed. “I don’t know,” he answered. “I never tried.”

“Try now.”

Turning back to the boulder, Loki had it levitating again. “Good,” Frigga murmured. “Now throw it.”

Taking a breath, Loki moved his arm in an arch and sent another burst of magic. The boulder moved across the courtyard slower than it would have if he had simply lifted and thrown it manually. Frustrated, Loki dropped his hand and looked to his mother, cursing his mediocrity.

Frigga watched the boulder, before waving her own hand and suddenly giving a half-spin with the momentum of her arm. The boulder flew past and shattered against one of the golden pillars. Loki jumped in surprise at the violence of the shattering stone. “Intention, Loki,” Frigga said plainly. “Try again.” As she said it, she placed another boulder in front of him, stepping back expectantly.

Loki widened his stance slightly, raising his hand and swinging in the same arch he’d observed from her. To his delight, the result was echoed. Looking to his mother in excitement, she smiled, nodding.

“Your fighting must never be a mere supplement to your magic,” she explained, taking a fighter’s stance in front of her son. “They must be symbiotic. Your magic enhances your fighting and vice versa. You can use one without the other, but together, you are lethal.”

***

“Swing at me, Loki!” Frigga cried as she swirled her spear in a downward arch and Loki threw her off. It had been a few weeks now, and Frigga came to her youngest every night, as Odin came to Thor. Her training sessions went far longer most nights, however, which was completely fine with Loki. She was a demanding teacher, and she made him do things repeatedly until they were perfect. But she was patient, never swayed by failure or misstep. In all, Loki’s quick mind and her steady instruction had him picking up the discipline quickly.

When he didn’t react, she stopped. “Why do you remain defensive? You will never win a fight if you do not use aggression, Loki. Defense is good, of course, but the strike was open.”

Loki’s fingers loosened on his spear as he looked at her. “I cannot,” he said simply.

“And why not?” she demanded.

He could not imagine driving a spear, even a blunted one, against his own mother, although she showed him no such treatment. Many of their sessions ended with bruises where she had struck him. He did not begrudge them, of course, but he found it exceedingly difficult to raise his hand against his mother.

Frigga sighed, sensing the hesitation in her son before he spoke it. “You will not harm me. I am sterner than you think.”

Loki swallowed. “I simply cannot,” he returned, dropping his eyes from her.

“Then we cannot advance,” she shot back.

Loki’s eyes shot up to her face. Stop? They couldn’t stop! He was learning to fight. He would fight alongside Thor as an equal. If they halted, then he would never reach the opportunity to best his brother in a sparring match. Thus far, he had avoided them, biding his time until he could win. “Mother,” he pleaded.

The irritation went from her eyes as she nodded. Closing her eyes, Frigga suddenly became two. Loki had seen the trick before, but had yet to attempt it for himself. Now, looking upon the second Frigga, he was determined to do so. Later, if not here.

“If you strike her, I feel nothing.” To demonstrate, Frigga stepped forward, driving her spear into her reflection’s core. The reflection cried out, until Frigga drew back. Any and all wounds in the reflection melted back into place.

Loki nodded, understanding and taking his stance.

“You will have to reach a point when you can swing at me. Thor bruises the Allfather. It does not harm him. For now, however, fight her.”

Nodding again, he swung.

***

Loki’s face burned with exertion. Years of this training had turned lank to lean and soft-spoken nature into calculation. Loki and Thor had sparred, of course, but Loki had hidden his abilities, allowing himself to lose as he anticipated the ultimate win to put his losses and the taunts to shame.

Frigga’s hair swirled behind her as she spun her spear, which Loki countered easily with a falter backward. Swinging his spear in a graceful arch, it connected with hers at the last moment. His leg kicked out, felling her easily. Of course, she was up before he could bring the point of his spear down upon her.

Spears clattered and thrusted, move for move. With a snarl, Frigga planted her spear, swinging her body around it so that her feet connected squarely with her son’s body. He fell backward with an ‘oof’, holding up a hand to create a forcefield to signify a break. The magic vibrated as she struck it, and her spear halted.

Gasping, he looked up at his mother, laughing breathily. “You never taught me that,” he accused playfully.

Frigga flipped her hair off her shoulder, bending to catch her son’s hand to pull him to his feet. “I did not want to share all of my tricks immediately,” she replied with a wry grin.

Loki took his stance. “Again?”

She nodded, rushing him easily. The fight commenced, much the same as skill matched skill. Frigga dodged a wayward rock, moving to advance on Loki. He grinned as he copied the move which had last felled him, arching himself gracefully to kick her, sending her sprawling in much the same manner before flipping backward over the spear to land on his feet. He had always had a flair for the drama and dance aspect of fighting.

Frigga threw up her own field, stopping him. Clapping, she grinned. “Impressive, my quick study.”

Loki grinned back, bending to lift her to her feet. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked carefully, studying her.

She scoffed. “I may be an old woman, but I’m not to be bested by my son. I’m fine, my darling.” She reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder. “And you are ready, just as Thor is.”

Loki’s face split into a grin.

Victory was upon him.

***

Loki stood before a very different opponent; their parents looked on with a number of people come to observe the two princes as they sparred. Most would root for Thor, as was expected. He was, after all, the golden prince. And they had watched Loki lose to him more than once. Of course, Loki knew better.

As the crowd cleared a formidable space for them, Loki’s eyes moved to his mother. Her expression betrayed no favouritism, but a gleam of her eye for her youngest, her pupil, gave her away to the careful observer. Loki smiled softly, taking a stance with his spear poised gracefully in one hand.

Thor’s own stance was far stronger to the casual eye, but Loki’s held potential energy that spoke of lithe danger.

“Begin,” Odin’s voice rang out.

Loki waited, knowing Thor would rush him, as he always did.

Sure enough, his brother ran at him, maul at the ready. Loki held his ground until the very last second, spinning out of the way, avoiding Thor’s hit.

The blonde’s face belied surprise before he smiled. “A pretty dance, brother,” he teased. “Surely you can hit with that thing?”

“I believe that remains to be seen, Thor,” Loki replied with a grin of his own.

Another rush, and this time, Loki reacted, deflecting the blows as they came. Thor hit harder, to be sure. But Loki was far faster, moving with grace which reflected his mother’s as they danced around one another. Glancing blows to his person hurt, but he repaid each hit in kind to Thor, the blade of his spear even nicking the ‘golden prince’s’ face once.

The fight progressed, the crowd riveted as two very different skill sets complemented one another in a thrilling and entirely surprising fight.

Thor hit Loki hard against the side of his head, leading him to stagger as his ears rung. Throwing up a forcefield as Thor swung in a downward arch with his maul, Loki watched at the magic vibrated against the hammer, the strike jarring Thor’s arm. The crowd gasped at the integration of magic. Ever the entertainer, Loki allowed a second version of himself to appear behind Thor, kicking him in the back and sending him forward as the original Loki faltered back.

Thor didn’t stay down, of course. He rolled with haste and leapt to his feet. Ready again. He had seen Loki’s duplication trick before, but he knew which brother he needed to hit. Another blow his Loki’s side and he gasped, swinging forward in an aborted attempt to stab. Yggdrasil, Thor hit hard. As he next advanced, Loki blocked the side swing to connect his forehead with Thor’s with a crack. It hurt, but it was worth it as Thor staggered back, opening Loki to advance. He backed his brother further, until Thor struck him again, leading him to spit out a bit of blood as he twirled away. Planting the spear, as Frigga had shown him, his body arched around it to kick Thor. His brother stumbled back, but kept his feet.

Glancing around, Loki lifted a chair magically, balling his fist to splinter it, before spreading his fingers to throw the pieces at Thor. They struck him squarely, succeeding in felling him where the kick could not.

With a final swing downward, Loki had his spear poised at Thor’s throat. It was the first time in many sparring instances that Loki had won, though he still tasted blood in his mouth and his ears still rang. Gasping, he met Thor’s eyes, which held disbelief as Loki stepped back.

Silence carried in the hall, the only sound seeming to be Loki and Thor gasping for air.

The sound of clapping from Frigga broke the spell, leading to applause from all of the others. Loki gave a laugh, dropping his spear to offer his hand to Thor, who laughed as well, taking his arm and getting to his feet. “Where is my lanky brother with a poor swing and a faltering step?” Thor asked, pulling Loki into a fraternal embrace.

Loki pulled back, making a show of glancing around. “He must be around here somewhere.”

“You understand that I’ll demand a rematch?”

“I look forward to it,” Loki grinned.


End file.
